Read about India's caste system in National Geographic magazine. It's disturbing how they dicriminate against their own people. I can't believe these things still happen in this day and age. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/06/0602_030602_untouchables.html More than 160 million people in India are considered "Untouchable"—people tainted by their birth into a caste system that deems them impure, less than human. Human rights abuses against these people, known as Dalits, are legion. A random sampling of headlines in mainstream Indian newspapers tells their story: "Dalit boy beaten to death for plucking flowers"; "Dalit tortured by cops for three days"; "Dalit 'witch' paraded naked in Bihar"; "Dalit killed in lock-up at Kurnool"; "7 Dalits burnt alive in caste clash"; "5 Dalits lynched in Haryana"; "Dalit woman gang-raped, paraded naked"; "Police egged on mob to lynch Dalits". "Dalits are not allowed to drink from the same wells, attend the same temples, wear shoes in the presence of an upper caste, or drink from the same cups in tea stalls," said Smita Narula, a senior researcher with Human Rights Watch, and author of Broken People: Caste Violence Against India's "Untouchables." Human Rights Watch is a worldwide activist organization based in New York. India's Untouchables are relegated to the lowest jobs, and live in constant fear of being publicly humiliated, paraded naked, beaten, and raped with impunity by upper-caste Hindus seeking to keep them in their place. Merely walking through an upper-caste neighborhood is a life-threatening offense. Nearly 90 percent of all the poor Indians and 95 percent of all the illiterate Indians are Dalits, according to figures presented at the International Dalit Conference that took place May 16 to 18 in Vancouver, Canada. Crime Against Dalits Statistics compiled by India's National Crime Records Bureau indicate that in the year 2000, the last year for which figures are available, 25,455 crimes were committed against Dalits. Every hour two Dalits are assaulted; every day three Dalit women are raped, two Dalits are murdered, and two Dalit homes are torched. No one believes these numbers are anywhere close to the reality of crimes committed against Dalits. Because the police, village councils, and government officials often support the caste system, which is based on the religious teachings of Hinduism, many crimes go unreported due to fear of reprisal, intimidation by police, inability to pay bribes demanded by police, or simply the knowledge that the police will do nothing. "There have been large-scale abuses by the police, acting in collusion with upper castes, including raids, beatings in custody, failure to charge offenders or investigate reported crimes," said Narula. That same year, 68,160 complaints were filed against the police for activities ranging from murder, torture, and collusion in acts of atrocity, to refusal to file a complaint. Sixty two percent of the cases were dismissed as unsubstantiated; 26 police officers were convicted in court. Despite the fact that untouchability was officially banned when India adopted its constitution in 1950, discrimination against Dalits remained so pervasive that in 1989 the government passed legislation known as The Prevention of Atrocities Act. The act specifically made it illegal to parade people naked through the streets, force them to eat feces, take away their land, foul their water, interfere with their right to vote, and burn down their homes. Since then, the violence has escalated, largely as a result of the emergence of a grassroots human rights movement among Dalits to demand their rights and resist the dictates of untouchability, said Narula. Lack of Enforcement, Not Laws Enforcement of laws designed to protect Dalits is lax if not non-existent in many regions of India. The practice of untouchability is strongest in rural areas, where 80 percent of the country's population resides. There, the underlying religious principles of Hinduism dominate. Hindus believe a person is born into one of four castes based on karma and "purity"—how he or she lived their past lives. Those born as Brahmans are priests and teachers; Kshatriyas are rulers and soldiers; Vaisyas are merchants and traders; and Sudras are laborers. Within the four castes, there are thousands of sub-castes, defined by profession, region, dialect, and other factors. Untouchables are literally outcastes; a fifth group that is so unworthy it doesn't fall within the caste system. Although based on religious principles practiced for some 1,500 years, the system persists today for economic as much as religious reasons. Because they are considered impure from birth, Untouchables perform jobs that are traditionally considered "unclean" or exceedingly menial, and for very little pay. One million Dalits work as manual scavengers, cleaning latrines and sewers by hand and clearing away dead animals. Millions more are agricultural workers trapped in an inescapable cycle of extreme poverty, illiteracy, and oppression. Although illegal, 40 million people in India, most of them Dalits, are bonded workers, many working to pay off debts that were incurred generations ago, according to a report by Human Rights Watch published in 1999. These people, 15 million of whom are children, work under slave-like conditions hauling rocks, or working in fields or factories for less than U.S. $1 day. Crimes Against Women Dalit women are particularly hard hit. They are frequently raped or beaten as a means of reprisal against male relatives who are thought to have committed some act worthy of upper-caste vengeance. They are also subject to arrest if they have male relatives hiding from the authorities. A case reported in 1999 illustrates the toxic mix of gender and caste. A 42-year-old Dalit woman was gang-raped and then burnt alive after she, her husband, and two sons had been held in captivity and tortured for eight days. Her crime? Another son had eloped with the daughter of the higher-caste family doing the torturing. The local police knew the Dalit family was being held, but did nothing because of the higher-caste family's local influence. There is very little recourse available to victims. A report released by Amnesty International in 2001 found an "extremely high" number of sexual assaults on Dalit women, frequently perpetrated by landlords, upper-caste villagers, and police officers. The study estimates that only about 5 percent of attacks are registered, and that police officers dismissed at least 30 percent of rape complaints as false. The study also found that the police routinely demand bribes, intimidate witnesses, cover up evidence, and beat up the women's husbands. Little or nothing is done to prevent attacks on rape victims by gangs of upper-caste villagers seeking to prevent a case from being pursued. Sometimes the policemen even join in, the study suggests. Rape victims have also been murdered. Such crimes often go unpunished. Thousands of pre-teen Dalit girls are forced into prostitution under cover of a religious practice known as devadasis, which means "female servant of god." The girls are dedicated or "married" to a deity or a temple. Once dedicated, they are unable to marry, forced to have sex with upper-caste community members, and eventually sold to an urban brothel. Resistance and Progress Within India, grassroots efforts to change are emerging, despite retaliation and intimidation by local officials and upper-caste villagers. In some states, caste conflict has escalated to caste warfare, and militia-like vigilante groups have conducted raids on villages, burning homes, raping, and massacring the people. These raids are sometimes conducted with the tacit approval of the police. In the province Bihar, local Dalits are retaliating, committing atrocities also. Non-aligned Dalits are frequently caught in the middle, victims of both groups. "There is a growing grassroots movement of activists, trade unions, and other NGOs that are organizing to democratically and peacefully demand their rights, higher wages, and more equitable land distribution," said Narula. "There has been progress in terms of building a human rights movement within India, and in drawing international attention to the issue." In August 2002, the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UN CERD) approved a resolution condemning caste or descent-based discrimination. "But at the national level, very little is being done to implement or enforce the laws," said Narula.
"Dalit boy beaten to death for plucking flowers"; "Dalit tortured by cops for three days"; "Dalit 'witch' paraded naked in Bihar"; "Dalit killed in lock-up at Kurnool"; "7 Dalits burnt alive in caste clash"; "5 Dalits lynched in Haryana"; "Dalit woman gang-raped, paraded naked"; "Police egged on mob to lynch Dalits". we can't judge this...it's all about perspective. there is no right or wrong.
This is shocking. I knew about it, and some of my friends who are Indian have talked about it, but I never knew the lower classes were treated this badly. Thanks for the post, very interesting stuff.
What?? How is behavior towards the lowest caste of Indians excused? Ignorance? That it's the way things have always been, that we don't understand their religion or their ways... that "we can't judge this... it's all about perspective. There is no right or wrong.", to use your own words? I'm astonished, MM, truly. Were you trying to make some point I'm not getting? Do you really believe what you said? I hope I'm completely misunderstanding you. These things really happen. The article cited is no exaggeration at all. There is no reason to doubt the wrong that is going on everyday. I don't want to come across as sanctimonious or as trying to "pounce on your post", although I see it here all the time, but I spent most of a summer in India. This is a tragedy that is an everyday event there. We think that discrimination was and is a problem in this country, although a situation much improved, but the caste system in India and it's persistance... despite official pronouncements decrying it and real efforts to do something about it, is a daily horror for millions beyond the concept of most Americans.
Hey lets hear it from some people of Indian descent. Is there any defense for this? I remember meeting a "Brahmin" who was pretty obnoxious about his superior status. Hopefully this is breaking down. Is the Hindu fundamentalism that is gaining ground contributing to the perpetuation of this?
Good! Although we were fairly sheltered from the violent aspects of Indian discrimination, it was on display. The different levels of prejustice exists within the other castes as well, but becoming more subtle and sophisticated. That was my impression, at any rate. It was really pretty fascinating to watch the interplay. I'm sure a lot of it went right past me. I loved my experiences in India, and we were treated extremely well. I hope people don't think that the remains of the caste system tarnishes the entire country. It's really an amazing place to visit. There are hundreds of dialects and languages, so the educated people almost all speak English. Unbelieveable things to see and places to visit. That makes it especially sad that this still goes on.
They're not. I definitely think this article goes a little overboard in describing how badly the lower classes are treated. While it is terrible that there is any discrimination at all, it simply isn't as bad as portrayed. In this day and age, one of the lower classes, or an untouchable as many like to call them, can move up in society. What prevents them from doing so is the monetary factor, not the discriminatory factor. In the past, castes played a much larger role in everyday life, but for most Indians today(I can only speak from what my parents tell me since I was born and raised in the US), it means little to nothing. One of the caste system's biggest roles is actually the role it plays in arranged marriages. Most Indian parents prefer their children to marry one of their own class(Not higher or lower). While this will sound ridiculous, they are even given some advantages over some of the better-off people. If they are able to graduate from high school(The 10th grade in India), and apply for a seat in a medical school, their chances are much higher than that of others'. A certain number of seats are reserved for people of these classes, and these seats are hardly ever filled. This applies for any type of graduate program(In India, you enter professional school immediately after high school). Also, the five-caste system that is taught in World History classes everywhere is rubbish. My parents laughed when I first held up my history book and asked which caste we belonged to.
Has anyone ever heard of the Indian bandit Veereppan? Actually this isn't really related to this topic, so I'll start my own thread in the Hangout board. Sorry.
i once read the biography of phoolan devi. a low caste indian woman who turned to crime and later went into indian politics. the story of her during her youth were horrific (married off at 9, raped by husband, gang raped in public and more...). i was more interested in her story, didn't pay attention to the dates, and i assumed it was like a really long time ago (i glaze over certain parts whenever i read books). few months after i finished the book, i read about her death in a newspaper. i didn't realize she was still alive when i was reading her story, and she didn't die of old age or anything. she was murdered by some people. and at that time, she was still in politics.
I understand that the situation varies with location. In otherwords the nature caste on everyday life depends on where you are. Also, not to be trite, but I think your "enlightened" view of the state of the caste system was not enumerated by someone who was looking up from the bottom. Imagine -- the year is 1962. You are white housewife in an all white town somewhere in Minnesota. Your "enlightened" view of the state of racism and the lingering effects of slavery on everyday life would most likely be couched in terminology very similar to that which you used in your statement. I believe, however, if you asked the average black man in Mississippi you'd get a different perspective. I don't mean to be chippy, but I know that the effects of something like slavery in the US, the caste system in India, or aparthid in South Africa don't just "go away". Some 100+ years after the end of slavery, the "collective psyche" of African-Americans still clearly displays the emotional and mental scars of bondage. If you claim otherwise, how else can you explain the gap in income, education, and social status of African-Americans and every other population in the US?
I was totally trying to make a point. There are absolute rights and wrongs. We're constantly force-fed that we can't judge the actions of others because everyone has their own view of right and wrong. That's called moral relativism. What a situation like this shows is just how faulty that view is. The following is not me touting my faith...I just find it interesting. Given this social structure, I've read that Indians lower on the caste system are turning to Christianity in droves. There was a report about this in Christianity Today not too long ago, if I remember right. This is awful stuff...it's flat out evil. Let's call it what it is.
What, We should not interfere in this, it is better that America keep it's nose out of other countries business right? DD
How come the US doesn't make a big deal about the human rights situation in India, but we'll make a big stink about kids working in sweat shops? Like last year when people were getting burned alive on a train and retaliation was in the form of mass house burning and murder. I think thousands died. Is it because they're an ally of sorts and a democracy?
I don't know..but we clearly don't do a good enough job of holding others accountable for crap like this.
mhleay999, This is my biggest issue with the US government. We clearly need to be more consistent. I also think this is our biggest issue in the world's eyes as well, we seem to pick and chose where we stick our nose in. I think we should be much more consistent. DD
You're right...I'm not totally fit to speak on this subject. I suppose the only way you could get a good, completely true response would be to talk to someone who experiences this first-hand. Chances are that you will not, though. I can only speak from my limited experience and what members of my family have told me. It's interesting that you compared India to a 1960's America, because I actually compare it to a 1920's - 1930's America. The people being discriminated against are free, but they are not able to move up the ladder because of a lack of money/schooling(There is public education in India, but it is not mandatory. This allows parents to force their children to stay at home and work). While divisions still exist, they aren't as pronounced as previously. At the very least the higher classes no longer have the authority to do as they please with the lower classes. I also compare the two because of the gangster-driven corruption, but that's a different topic... Again, you're right...None of that has totally gone away, but I didn't say that it had. No one can deny that these divisions don't exist(In all three countries...I believe it is worst in South Africa?), but, IMO, things have changed drastically here in the US. You know the history of civil rights so I won't go into detail, but to say that the lives of African-Americans isn't significantly better than that of their ancestors would just be false. We, as a country, are still working on improving this situation, and hopefully we will continue to do so. If India and South Africa are able to make these same improvements, all three countries would be on the road to racial/caste harmony. India and South Africa haven't had as much time as the US, so only time will tell. I believe that is it, actually. Neither country wants to harm an alliance that has been good(Not necessarily good, but certainly not bad) to them and may prove useful in the future. I do wonder how different the Israeli and Kashmir situations are, though. The conflicts are somewhat similar... The major difference would be that we would not be fighting/aiding another country, but a certain religious group, which could really stir up some criticism.
